The quick cut: Two teen girls have separate yet connected experiences at a mansion, ten years apart from each other.
A real review:
Local legends may be tall tales, but typically they begin with a kernel of truth. So if your local town had a mansion with a deadly reputation, would you risk going near it? This is an important question for Daisy and Brittany.
Daisy has recently moved with her mom to a derelict mansion they recently took ownership of, with the plan to turn it into an Airbnb. It's a chance for a new start, but the experience turns into nothing that she expected. Brittany is estranged from her mom, a bestselling author who claims the miracle mansion saved her life. The truth is that she's abusive and a liar - with Brittany dedicated to escaping her reach. These girl's experiences are ten years apart, but share a common goal. Can they reach it separately?
Although this book is told from a dual narrative experience, it feels more centered on Daisy. You spend a lot more time with her and while I enjoyed it, I ended up feeling like I had too many unanswered questions about Brittany. I hate that feeling!
Daisy has spent her life trying to keep her mom from falling apart. So when her mom starts handling things solo and expecting Daisy to act her age, she questions the change (justifiably so). Why is her mom hiding things?
Brittany is much more a mystery. She has a podcast that she runs with a friend, but she does it all to bring herself freedom from her mom. Brittany is so vengeful in a way and it makes me wish we saw more of what happened to her. In the end, Brittany's story feels incomplete where Daisy's feels whole.
A spooky story that feels like it needs more answers.
My rating: 4.25 out of 5